Local Entrepreneur Builds Thriving Market for Small Businesses Without Storefronts

Cars line the edge of a family farm in Maysville as visitors make their way toward rows of white vendor tents. Music from a small stage carries over the hums of conversation, as people find repurposed handmade goods, home decor and jewelry.

This is what H&H Homestead has become. Helena Dale turned a small backyard barn sale into a large community market that gives local vendors a place to sell their work in Jackson County. 

Helena Dale, owner of H&H Homestead, hosts markets three times a year featuring more than 100 vendors, food trucks and live music. The events are centered on bringing the community together while creating opportunities for small businesses to reach customers. 

Jackson County has more than 8,600 businesses without an official storefront, compared to about 1,673 employer establishments, meaning many entrepreneurs are home-based or operate on a small scale. With many businesses operating without storefronts, events like H&H Homestead provide a rare in-person selling space. 

Through her markets, Dale said she aims to give those vendors a place to showcase their work. 

“H&H market has helped me grow my business. I have met so many wonderful customers through my connection with Helena and H&H Homestead,” said Cindy Harris, owner of Cottage Farmhouse. 

Building strong relationships with vendors is an important part of Helena’s business, helping her create a welcoming experience for customers.

Helena’s markets were not always on a large scale. Dale hosted her first barn sale in March 2013 in her backyard in Jefferson. The event was a simple gathering with no long-term plan, but it quickly grew in popularity. 

“It’s just in my DNA to host stuff like this,” Dale said. “I love to decorate. I love to stage all of it. It’s a part of who I am.” 

Over time, the small barn sale evolved into H&H Homestead. The name reflects her family, with the first “H” stands for Helena, the second honors her father, Hugh, and “Homestead” represents the hospitality and warmth instilled by her mother. 

Three years ago, the business expanded when Dale and her husband purchased a 50-acre property in Maysville that once belonged to his grandparents. The land had been out of the family for decades before the owners contacted them and offered the first opportunity to buy it. 

The larger property allowed Dale to grow the markets, adding more vendors and creating space for families to gather. 

Helena Dale sees herself as an example of the phrase “one person’s trash is another person’s treasure.” 

Dale said her passion for hosting and design began in childhood. Raised in Jackson County, she helped with her family’s scrap metal business, often bringing home discarded items to repurpose and decorate. 

She said those experiences shaped her approach to both creativity and business. 

That creativity continues through her family line. Her daughter, Emily, now owns Emily Dale Jewelry and began selling at her mother’s first barn sale.

“The first sale I sold jewelry at was my mom’s very first barn sale. We kind of started our businesses around the same time,” Emily said. “My grandmother, her mom, was also very creative. So I guess it’s genetic.” 

Similar to her mother, Emily wants to express her creativity to share with others. 

“If I don’t have an outlet to be creative, I feel like I’m wasting my talents, and it’s therapeutic to sit down,” Emily said. “I just really enjoy creating things.” 

Helena said her goal is to create an environment that feels welcoming and exceeds expectations for visitors. While picking vendors, Helena requires each booth to have a unique element for customer experience. 

“I have to see how you stage, how you present your product and what you bring to the market, because there’s lots of different elements in my opinion to make people want to come back. I want them to feel like it’s everything they imagined, but even better.” 

The H&H Homestead markets go beyond helping small businesses. For visitors, its a way to connect with others apart from online shopping methods. 

Walking around and looking at everything… there’s not many shops you can do that in. Everything’s online. So getting the community feel and live music is a fun thing,” visitor Jennifer Smith said.  

What started as a small backyard gathering has grown into a recurring community event while maintaining its original purpose in creating a space for people to connect and share creativity. 

“What I love most about my business is that I love it,” Helena said. “It’s not considered a job. It just means a lot to me.” 

Emma McCranie is a journalism major in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia.